Spiritual Protection

I had to be in St. George this afternoon for a meeting and took the opportunity to go to the Temple since I was down there.  I planned to do initiatory work and that is what I did.  When I went in the workers talked to me about how many names I wanted to do.  I said as many as they wanted to give me.  We started out with 7.  After that they gave me 4 more.  Following that they gave me another 5.  It was good to be in the Temple today.  I went through a few officiating crews in that time.  Not sure if we call them officiating crews - brethren that were working the initiatory.  Anyway, the last brother came in right as I was on my last name in the last station - it was one of our customers Paul.  Can't remember his last name.  Wonderful to see him there, we were both excited to see each other.  Good man.  That was fun.  There was another brother in that time that said something to me while in the last station.  After the blessings were pronounced and before I left the room he said "You know where the adversary goes after you the hardest?"  I looked at him and waited for him to answer his own question "He goes after you spiritually and being here doing this gives you spiritual protection".  That was a great reminder to me of the importance of attending the Temple.  There is protection that comes to us whenever we follow the commandments of the Lord.  As we read our scriptures, as we pray, as we attend church, as we exercise the Priesthood in blessing others, as we do the things the Lord would have us do including serving in the Temple, we receive spiritual protection.  I know that to be true and am so very grateful for it. 

In the Temple I put some friends names on the prayer roll and also included my children and other family members.  I knew that their mom had some hard and sad news for them and figured it would be good to have a few extra prayers on their behalf.  Rachel called tonight and shared the news that her dog Angus had been hit by a car and died.  The kids took it hard.  It was a bit of a tough moment with a lot of crying.  I am sure there will be some hard moments ahead but I am confident the Lord will comfort them.